Germany is one of the most sustainable industrial countries

Germany is one of the world’s most sustainable industrialized nations. This is the conclusion reached by an international comparative study of the 34 OECD member states conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation in 2015. Against the backdrop of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the countries were systematically analyzed for the first time on the basis of 34 indicators ranging from environmental protection and growth to the quality of the welfare systems. Germany was in sixth place, doing well in particular with regard to growth, employment and social security.

A growing number of companies in Germany are making a commitment to society as part of conducting sustainable business. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) primarily hinges on each company’s core business, which by dint of globalization impacts on economic, social and environmental conditions. Most DAX-listed companies such as BASF, Daimler, and Deutsche Bank, as well as many SMEs, institutes and non-governmental organizations in Germany are members of the United Nations’ Global Compact Initiative, founded in 1999.

At the European level, Germany in particular supports the EU’s far-reaching CSR initiative. The strategy is updated regularly and from 2016 envisages the introduction of obligatory reporting on CSR measures for certain companies. During Germany’s presidency of the G7 in 2015, the Federal Government put CSR topics such as labor, welfare and environmental standards on the agenda. For the purpose of formulating a CSR strategy, in 2009 the Federal Government convened a German CSR Forum and in 2010 the “National Strategy for Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR Action Plan” was concluded. One of its focal points is the successful implementation of CSR in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Author: Global Impact Grid